Means for supporting rails, such as those of tramways.



J. ROBBINS.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING RAILS SUCH AS THOSE 0F TRAMWAYS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1914.

l l @@U Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

M//T/vsssz-:s .Tamm Roger/Ns I 5y /ww Mm THE NORRIS PETERS COA.PHOT0LITHOA. WSHINGIUN. L'

J'AMES ROBBINS, 0F WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING RAXLS, SUCH AS, THOSE` 01'5 TRAMWAYS.

Application filed September 19, 1914.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES Romains, a. subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 11 Tothill street, in the city of llVestminster andcounty of London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inMeans for Supporting Rails, Such as Those of Tramways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Lines of rails, such as those of tramways, which are supported uponfoundations of the ordinary character, have to be frequently disturbedin order that the foundations may be renewed, or repaired, as theyrapidly become deteriorated owing to the said foundations beinginjuriously affected by the vibrations imparted by traflic to the railsand by the admission, or penetration, of moisture.

According to my invention the ordinary foundations are supplemented, bythe insertion, between the bottom ange, or foot, of each rail and theconcrete, or other supporting bed, of a combination (hereinafter calledthe seating) of ropes, or the like, of fibrous material with plasticcement, or like material, which is water-resistant and will notbecomehard and friable; for example, the cement known as Robbinsls non-setplastic cement, the ropes, or the like, being preferablv tarred, orotherwise treated with a suitable preserva tive material. and they may'be arranged side by side, along, or interwoven with. lengths of asupporting material of a width about eoual to the width of the requiredseating, but the use of this supporting material is not essential. Whenthis supporting material is used, it may, for example. be perforatedmetal, or wire-gauze, or it mav be a woven, or otherwise formed, fabricof fibrous material tarred, or otherwise treated with a preservative,(such. for example. as the material known as bratticecloth) and thetarred ropes. or the like, can, if desired. be attached to the saidsupporting material by cement. by sewing, or by staples. or byinterweaving, or bv interlacing the ropes, or the like, with the saidsupporting material, or in any other suitable manner lengthwise, orcrosswise, of the supporting material, or in any other suitable positionrelatively thereto, or the said ropes, or the like, may be interwoven,or intertwisted, with each other and used either with, or without, theaforesaid supporting material. The plastic cement, or like ma-4Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lFeb. 9, li..

serial no. esatta.

terial, can be applied so that it fills any spaces there may be betweenthe said tarred ropes, or the like, and it may also be applied to thesupporting'material and, if desired, there may be a layer of material,(for example similar to that constituting the supporting material,)above, as well as below, the said tarred ropes or the like, and theplastic cement, or like material, may be applied below, or above, orboth below and above, such layers of material. lf desired the severalconstituents of the said seating, or some of the said constituents, maybe put together before they are put in place as a seating for the rails,or they may be applied separately, or in part, separately, for example,some plastic cement. or like material, can be first put in place thenthe supporting material, with the tarred ropes, or the like, attachedthereto, be applied, or such supporting material and the tarred ropes,or the like. may be applied separately, then more plastic cement. orlike material, be applied and then, if desired, a further laver (likethat, for example. which constitutes the supporting material) be put inplace, with, or without, more plastic cement. or like material, appliedabove it. The foregoing presumes that the aforesaid materials areapplied as a seating before the rails are put in place.

ln the accompanying: drawing. Figure l is a cross section: and Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section through a rail seating in which mv invention isillustrative/lv embodied.

Presuming that the seating is to be applied after the rails are inplace, the following (explained with regard to the aocompanving crossand lon yofitudin al sections) may be the procedure I--The rails (1) maybe supported upon the supporting bed (2) by the intervention of wedgesbefore the seating. according to mv invention, is put in place. Tarredjute ropes (3) are driven in from each side between the flanges of therails (l) and the supporting bed (2) the plastic cement (il) beingintroduced between the ropes (3) and filled in to cover, or point. thoseropes (3) which have been last introduced, the said ropes (3) and cement(e) being driven in by anv suitable means; such, for example, as calkingtools, blunt nosed picks, pneumatic hammers, or the like. lf desired anabutment can be formed at one edge of the flanges of the rails and allthe materials be driven in from beneath the edges at the other side.

l do not limit myself to the precise ways hereinbefore described ofcombining the ropes, or the like, and the plastic material and puttingthem in place as they may be combined and put in place in any other waywhich will give the desired effects of sutilcient resistance to injuryby vibrations and other causes of injury and enable the plastic cement,or like material, and the ropes, or the like, to remain in place withthe plastic cement, or like material, therein, and this plastic cement,or like material, may be of any suitable kind such as the aforesaidnonset plastic cement, or any other material which is water-resistantand will not become hard and friable.

l am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to miX fibrous materialwith cement to form a rail seating and l do not claim to be the inventorof such subject matter. So far as I am aware, however, it has notheretofore been proposed to support the rail upon strands of rope, moreparticularly upon strands of tarred rope laid lengthwise beneath therail, which strands take the load and 4directly transmit it to theunderlying support, in conjunction with a plastic cement packed betweenand around the rope strands to protect the same against moisture or thelike.

Vhat I claim is :-l

l. A seating for rails, comprising strands ofibrous rope on which therail or the like is seated and through which the load is transmitted toan underlying support, in combination with a lilling of plastic water'proofing cement forming a packing between and around said rope strandsand serving to protect the latter from moisture or other injuriousmatter.

2. A seating for rails, comprising strands of librous rope arranged sideby side and extending lengthwise beneath the rail or the like and onwhich the latter is seated and through which the load is transmitted toan underlying support, in combination with a filling of plasticwater-proofing cement forming' a packing between and around said ropestrands and serving to protect the latter from moisture or otherinjurious matter.

3. A seating for rails, comprising strands of tarred rope on which therail or the like is seated and through which the load is transmitted toan underlying support, in combination with a filling of plasticwaterproofing cement orming a packing between and around said ropestrands and serving to protect the latter from moisture or otherinjurious matter.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specilication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

GILBERT FLETCHER TYsoN, VINCENT GIARDELLL Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C.

